A World War II Veteran and a Holocaust Escapee Have the Most Incredible Love Story

Captain Paul Rothman, a World War II veteran, and Geraldine Rosen, a Jew who escaped Nazi Germany just a moment before it was too late, have a love story marked by war, luck and — some would argue — fate. But, like so many tales of great love, Rothman and Rosen's story comes with a surprising twist: They didn't find each other until 50 years after WWII. Today, on ABC News, the couple told their story to the world.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

After years of fighting in the jungles of Bombay, India and China, Rothman was honorably discharged in the late 1940s; he then moved to New York City to build a major textile company. Around the same time, Rosen, at 11 years old, arrived in Hoboken, New Jersey after a tumultuous journey from Germany by sea. "I remember getting off the boat, bending down and kissing the floor," Rosen told ABC. While Rothman came to America to apply the leadership skills he gained in the war to a thriving business, Rosen came into the country as a displaced refugee — lucky enough to leave Germany just days before Kristallnacht, the night when Nazis threw Jews from their homes, burned their business and murdered hundreds.

This was when the unbelievable coincidences began. Rosen and her family came to New York City with the aid of a cousin, who told them that he would help them that he could give them a place to stay — as it turns out, that cousin lived in Rothman's old apartment building on 39th Street. When Rosen's brother, Eli, entered the workforce, he did so in the — wait for it — textile company, where he was quickly introduced to Rothman. The pair became great friends. And still, Rosen and Rothman had yet to be introduced. When they finally did meet just 25 years ago, after Eli suggested they have dinner, they realized that they lived within three blocks of each other in the very same neighborhood. And today? The couple now lives just one block from Hunter College in Manhattan, where Rosen worked for 10 years. All this time, she was just a block away from her future.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Both Rothman and Rosen were unhappily married in the time between the war and their meeting in 1990. "When I met Paul, I had left a marriage of 25 years, it was very difficult … [but] Paul and I just clicked, " said Rosen. "He had his baggage and I had mine." Rothman was also taken by Rosen, but, skittish after his divorce, "didn't immediately follow up to take her out again." Fate, however, intervened once more. While helping her brother with his work, Rosen unknowingly walked into Rothman's warehouse in downtown New York — and walked straight into him. "If she wasn't there, maybe we wouldn't be here," said Rothman. "But I'm sure glad she was standing at the elevator."

Gerry and Paul connected over the war, over the uncanny coincidences, and most of all, true love. Today, they are the backbone of each other's family. "She's the love of my life," said Paul. "What else is there to say?"

A Part of Hearst Digital Media
Good Housekeeping participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.